2018 Film Festival

Following the death of her grandfather, a woman returns to her childhood home and ignites an affair with a married schoolteacher. Set in the small Israeli town of Acre, Limor Shmila’s gripping, redemptive, and personal debut feature confronts past traumas and uncovers sordid family secrets.

Schedule

film synopsis

For some people, going home again can be like reentering the lion’s den of their youth. Such is the case for Efi who, in the wake of her grandfather’s death, returns to her tightly-knit Israeli hometown after 15 years away. During her visit, Efi’s quiet confidence attracts Karen, a married schoolteacher whose shy nine-year-old daughter Maya happens to be close to Efi’s family. As Efi begins to recognize glimpses of herself in Maya, sordid family secrets are uncovered, past traumas confronted, and difficult decisions must be made.

Shooting in her own hometown with a mostly female crew, award-winning casting director Limor Shmila drew from personal experience to bring her powerful debut feature to life. Part erotic romance, part searing revenge drama, Montana is a gripping, clear-eyed portrait of a woman’s resilience in the face of the oppressive power structures that have been in place for generations.